A Misunderstood Memory
by AkiiChan4
Summary: Akito Sohma, now elderly and widowed, tells the story of Tohru Honda and the Zodiac to a new generation. Along the way, Akito learns new things about herself and the new life she must lead on.
1. Realization

A Misunderstood Memory

_Chapter One – Realization_

I heard a gentle knock on the paper door. I jostled awake and quickly looked around. I glanced at the alarm clock sitting next to me. It was 2:00 AM. Who would be knocking at this time?

Cautiously, I opened the paper door. Staring from a foot below was my grandson, Naotu.

"Obaa-san, I can't sleep. It's too hot. Can I sleep with you tonight?" Behind him he pulled a rather large sleeping bag.

"Of course." He followed me into the room, and laid his sleeping bag flat on the floor. I began to slip back into my covers when Naotu-chan hopped onto my bed. "Naotu-chan? Aren't you going to sleep now?" I asked.

"I want you to tell me a bed time story, Obaa-san. Ojii-san used to and it helped me sleep better."

I sighed. Even though a month already passed, I still couldn't grasp the fact that Shigure really passed away. Smoking had always been one of bigger things on my nerves, but I'd never believed it could really kill him. Every day I wished I had convinced him a bit more to quit.

After his death, all of the zodiac members came to visit and mourn. He was the first to die in our banquet, and even though our bond had already been broken, all of us felt it when Shigure-chan passed.

I turned to Naotu-kun. "Did Shigure ever tell you about the Zodiac curse?"

He nodded. "He was the dog, he told me."

"Do you know how the curse broke?"

Naotu thought for a moment. He shook his head.

"Oh. So you don't know about Tohru Honda-san?"

He cocked his head to one side. "Who's that?"

I pulled him onto my lap, then began.

"Some say that the most beautiful days are mean to be what they are; beautiful, yet peaceful and quiet too. In my experiences, I choose to believe the second group of people; that the beauty of it all is a mere disguise for something earth-shattering to happen. I would have a very different answer before that day. But very much can change in very little time, such as what I have experienced.

That day, the sun was shining brightly alongside fluffy cumulus clouds. I gazed out of the window, staring at the green grass, the tall trees, and the light reflected so bright that it hurt to look at for more than a few moments. _I should really go outside,_ I thought. But as I coughed into a tissue, I knew it couldn't happen. If I stepped outside, even for a moment, my fever was bound to jump sky-high. I rubbed my temple and seated myself back down with a groan.

'Will someone get me some broth?" I called out. 'I'm hungry!'

In the hallway, I heard feet shuffling around, then a voice called back distantly. 'Right away, Akito-sama!'

I sat expressionlessly waiting in my bamboo chair until a servant came and place my meal on the table. 'Is there anything else you may require, Sohma-san?'

'No. You can leave now.' I picked up the spoon and lift the broth to my lips. It was much too hot to my liking, but delicious nonetheless. I put the spoon down, and reached for the novel on my bedside table. Your grandfather was one of the worst writers in the world." I laughed. "But in my boredom I was willing to read anything to keep myself entertained, no matter how horrible or perverted."

Naotu's eyes popped open wide. "Ojii-san was a famous writer? Wow!"

I smiled. "Not quite. He loved to mess with his editor."

Naotu frowned. "What does perverted mean?"

I laughed, and continued.

"Despite everything, I was so absorbed into the novel that by the time I lifted my head, it was already afternoon and my broth was cold.

Broth wasn't supposed to get cold, as I thought then. I stood up to call a servant to warm it up, but before I could, Shigure walked into my room, with a mischievous smile on his face. 'Good morning! The weather is beautiful out. Why are you sitting indoors? Not another fever?'

Anyway other day and I would have slapped your Ojii-san senseless. He was such a tease. But I was too weak and too frail to do much but glare. 'What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be working?'

Shigure leaned against the paper door, arms crossed, with that stupid smile lingering, as though I were the intruder. 'There's been a few changes that have been made recently, and I just wanted to discuss them with you, if you're willing to listen.'

'Why didn't you ask for my permission to change things?' I struggled to keep the anger and annoyance out of my voice.

Shigure ignored me (how dare he!) and kept on talking. 'We have decided to allow someone to live in my household for a bit of time. Her name's Tohru Honda. She was recently orphaned and the people she was living with are remodeling their house. We found her living in a tent on Sohma family property, and we decided to offer her a living space until remod-'

'Why didn't you tell me this earlier?' I interrupted him. 'You should have asked for my permission!'

Shigure looked down sheepishly. 'Well, that's what I'm doing right now, right?'

That's another thing about your grandfather that made him so cunning. You should never try to reason with him. He twists your words and fools you into thinking you were the one that messed up. I tried not to look like it, but I was deeply thinking about this Honda girl. What if she discovered the Sohma family curse? She would have to lose all of her memories, which, while it wouldn't really bother me, it would cause trouble for the whole family. What if she tried to tear Yuki, Kyo, and even your grandfather away from me? Or even worse, what if she tried to break the curse?

I shook my head. I didn't think any human girl wouldn't want anything to do with a bunch of men who changed into animals. And if she didn't find out about the curse, she wouldn't be able to tear Shigure, Kyo and Yuki away from me. And why would she try to break the curse, when she didn't even know about it? There weren't any risks in allowing her a living space. Or that was what I thought, anyway.

'Fine,' I said curtly. 'She can stay in the house for as long as she needs.'

'Good,' Shigure smiled. 'I will be sure to tell Tohru-kun the good news.'

Shigure turned to leave. But just before he stepped out, I said, 'Wait.'

He turned back around to face me. 'Yes?'

I wanted to say something, anything. That I loved him, that I missed him, that I didn't want him to leave, anything to pronounce our relationship. And from the look on his face, Ojii-san was thinking the same thing. That lit a tiny flame within me. There was no way I'd do exactly what a dog like him expected. No way. 'I want Kyo-kun to stay with you too.'

Ojii-san tried not to let the disappointment show through. 'Okay.' He said. He turned and walked out, more hesitantly this time. Not that I cared. He didn't deserve any confessions from me, when he was clearly the one at fault. I took another sip of broth, and watched as the sun disappeared another cloud.

And that's all."

Naotu yawned. "Obaa-san, you're good at telling bed time stories. When did you meet Tohru Honda-san?"

I glanced at the clock. It was nearly 4. "How about I tell you tomorrow? Come earlier and I can tell you all about it. And even if I don't, we still have all summer."

Naotu nodded, then slowly drifted off to sleep.

I smiled. Good night, Naotu.


	2. Companion

_Chapter Two – Hardships_

When I woke up the next day, I was surprised to discover that Naotu-chan wasn't there. I glanced at the clock. 4:30 PM. _Of course not._

I struggle out of bed and rushed out into the hall. Usually I would wait until a servant brought me breakfast, but at this point it was almost time for dinner. My eyesight blurry, my head aching, I rushed into Naotu-chan and Suki-chan (his sister)'s shared room. Suki sat in front of the television, eating chips and listening to Mogeta blaring off. She turned around and glanced at me. "Konichiwa, Obaa-san."

"Where's Naotu-kun?" I asked.

Suki-chan shrugged. "Okaa-chan said he went to a friend's house."

I was thoroughly frustrated. I rarely left the Sohma main house, while Suki and Naotu went out every other day to hang out with friends, or to go shopping with my daughter. It always left me nothing to do, other than reading Shigure's old romance novels.

"Obaa-san?"

I turned to look at her. Suki was only nine, but she had the maturity of someone twice her age. Whenever she was home, she was always studying, reading, writing, or drawing manga. I was so busy searching for Naotu that I forgot to be surprised to find her sitting in front of a television.

"Okaa-chan said she wanted to buy some groceries at the local store yesterday. But Mama keeps coughing. I don't think she can… Can you buy the groceries in Okaa-chan's place?"

I vaguely remember the disaster that occurred the one time I took Naotu to the supermarket with me. We were browsing through the cereal aisle when Naotu spotted a cereal that offered a free Mogeta keychain. As I left to get some bread, he ripped apart every single box and took out the keychain. As he tried to reach for a cereal box on the top shelf, his foot got caught on the shelf he was standing on. Although the shelf itself did not fall, every single cereal box fell down and spilled all of its contents onto the tiled floor. Akira wouldn't speak to me and grounded Naotu-chan for a week.

_But Naotu-chan won't be coming this time. He's out with a friend._

"Sure," I replied. "Do you have a list?"

"Yea." Suki-chan got up and quickly snatched a piece of paper from her desk. "Here you go. Oh, and wait. Naotu wants taffy candy."

I nodded. "See you later."

I walked out into the midsummer heat. Who knew July could be so hot here? I glanced at the sky and thought of all the days when Shigure and I would go out to shop together. It seemed so far away. I couldn't envision his facial expressions. _I guess when someone dies, some of the memories you had die with them_, I thought sadly.

It was an unnaturally quiet day in the supermarket. The only people there were the sweaty shopkeepers who had fans turned on behind them. I glanced down at the shopping list Saki wrote.

_Mama wants…_

_Vegetables- Celery, Green beans, Eggplant_

_Meat- One pound of pork, Dumpling skin_

_Snacks- Pocky, Hello Panda, Gummies, French Cookies, Seaweed Crackers_

_And in case you forget, taffy candy for Naotu._

_Love, Suki 3 _

"Obaa-saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!"

As I looked up, a small body tackled me, and I stumbled backwards. _What the-? What was that for!_

Naotu's wide, brown eyes stared up at me. "Oh, it's so great to see you, Obaa-san! Me and my friend are here with her Okaa-san! I grabbed some taffy and Pocky too! For onee-chan! And me!" He shoved them into my basket.

From around the corner, a shy little girl wandered over and stared at the basket then at me. She grasped Naotu-kun's hand.

"Hello, are you Naotu's friend?" I bent down so that we could be eye level.

The girl nodded, but wouldn't meet my eyes. "My mother and I like shopping for food."

I turned to look at Naotu. "Naotu-chan, you didn't tell me you were going shopping. I would have given you the shopping list…"

Naotu-kun laughed. "It's okay! Onee-chan wrote one for me too!" He showed me the list.

_Buy lots of Pocky and taffy candy, and when obaa-san arrives, put them in her basket. I wrote her a list too, including Pocky and taffy. Now we'll have extra, to last the whole summer! _

That sly girl! I must confess; she got it from me.

"Ummmm… well, since your obaa-san is here, I guess I will leave with Mama…"

Oh, yes, the girl. "Go ahead. Tell your mother that Naotu's grandma took him home, okay?"

The girl nodded, and dashed off.

That night, for dinner, Matsuyo made Nira-tama, miso soup, and boiled rice. Even though I had never liked nira-tama, the kids really seemed to like their mother's cooking. I had no right to complain.

"Okaa-chan, can my friend Ayumi-chan come over tonight? Her mama said it was okay."

Matsuyo looked up from her dish. "I don't know, musuko-chan. Where will she sleep?"

_She? Isn't Ayumi a boy name?_

"We can stay in obaa-san's room, right?" Naotu looked at me expectantly, waiting for my approval.

I thought for a moment. I certainly didn't approve of sleepovers and such. But if I'm not mistaken, Ayumi-chan was the girl from the supermarket. The girl seemed awfully familiar, and I wished to know her better. Why not?

"Of course they can," I replied.

Naotu-chan's eyes sparkled. "We can watch movies, play games, and tell stories all night long!" He exclaimed.

Although I tried not to show it, I was excited too. It was the first time in so long that I had had a group gathering in my room. The last time I had one was with Shigure and Akira-kun when Akira was only eight. It made me long for Akira-kun, who was on a business trip in the USA. But I longed for Shigure even more. It broke my heart to think that even the best things don't last forever.


	3. Exchange

_Chapter Three – Exchange_

Although it hadn't seemed so at the time, the sleepover may have been a pretty bad idea. I picked up a gigantic pile of dirty laundry and shoved it into the closet, along with an old photo album and a dusty pink journal I discovered under the bed. Not a minute too soon did Naotu-kun walk in with his little friend.

It was the first time than I really looked at the 7-year-old girl. Ayumi-chan's hair was blonde; uncommon and a bit strange in this part of Japan. However, the girl had a very cute look and reddish-brown eyes. She leaned against Naotu, shy and intimidated by my presence, it seemed.

I smiled to the point where it hurt my face. "Hello, Ayumi-chan. Naotu-kun had suggested that we sleep in my room tonight. That's okay with you, right?"

The girl nodded. "Ahh, yes…"

Seeing as I was the oldest person here, I was supposedly the host of the whole sleepover. But I've never held a sleepover before. What was there to do?

As though my mind had been read, Naotu spoke up. "How about we tell stories? Obaa-chan is good at telling stories!"

"Sure," Ayumi said. She turned to me. "Obaa-san, could you tell yours first?"

"Tell us about how you met Tohru!" Naotu-kun piped up.

"Okay," I said. "Here goes.

The first time Tohru-san and I spoke was on an April day, at the high school she attended with Yuki, Kyo, Momiji and Hatsuharu. I wanted to speak with Yuki, but I quickly caught sight of her. To me, she seemed ugly and none too bright; I was instantly assured that she wouldn't be able to break the curse. She did in the end though, and I supposed I had misjudged her.

And really, there's not much more than that."

Ayumi-chan looked thoughtful. "So you went to the high school… just to say hello to Tohru-san?"

I shook my head. "I was hoping to find Yuki and ask him why he did not come to the banquet. Even though I saw him, I didn't get an answer. Not from him, anyway."

Naotu-kun was quiet, then said, "Can I go next!"

Ayumi and I both nodded.

"Once upon a time, there was an ugly monster. He was so stinky and ugly and fat and weird that everyone died. The end."

There was a long pause.

Naotu-kun sniffed. Tears welled up in his eyes. "You didn't like it, did you?"

"No, no, that's not it, Naotu-chan. It was wonderful," I said as I pulled him closer to me. I gave him a big hug. "Don't worry about it."

Ayumi, who had been mostly silent, smiled. "How about I tell a story based on yours, Naotu-chan?"

Naotu-kun sniffed, but nodded.

Ayumi-chan thought for a moment. "How about this. Once upon a time, there was an ugly monster. All the village people thought he was scary and ran away whenever they saw him. But the monster was really just a boy with an ancient curse. The people knew that if someone could love this monster, then the curse would break, and the boy would never turn into a monster ever again. But the people were still really scared, and wouldn't play with him even when he was in human form.

One day, a normal girl moved into a house near the boy's. Nobody wanted to live near something that could eat their children, so they gave her the house for free. The girl didn't know that the boy was a monster. She played with him every day, until the villagers got scared that the girl was being tricked. They forced him to show her his monster form, and the girl was shocked. Sad that he lost his only friend, he ran into the woods and got lost. But unlike the villagers, the girl chased after the monster and begged him to go back. They did go back, and they became best friends forever.

The end."

Naotu-kun's tears had already been dried off. "Your story is a lot better than mine."

But rather than be surprised about her story-telling talent, I was shocked by how closely her story resembled Kyo-kun's. _Was this girl their granddaughter?_ It didn't seem like it. The girl's blonde hair was a telltale sign. And not just that; the last time I had heard from Kyo, 3 weeks ago, he said that he would be staying with his ojou-san in their house, about 40 miles away.

I stared wonderingly at the young girl. I may have known her better than I thought.


	4. Missing

Chapter Four – Missing

The next week, Naotu-kun came to me one afternoon, a bawling mess.

"Naotu, what is wrong?" I asked as the poor child sobbed into my kimono.

He wiped a few tears from his face. "Okaa-chan wants to take us back home for the summer!"

Surely this wasn't happening. Akira-san said they could stay here for the whole summer. Not 2 weeks! I rushed out into the hall and headed for the kitchen. "I need to talk to Matsuyo."

Seated at the table, staring down into a pile of bills was Matsuyo. She looked deeply stressed out, and it crossed my mind that right now may or may not be a great time to talk to her. She took off her glasses and look at me. _Might as well ask now._

"Matsuyo, Naotu-kun has just informed me that you're going back to Tokyo." I seated myself down on the chair opposite her and pulled little Naotu into my lap.

Matsuyo glared at Naotu then turned back at me. "I was afraid they were bothering you. We'll be leaving tomorrow."

Bothering me? Impossible. _This obviously isn't it, _I realized. _There's another reason behind this._ "I assure you, ojou-chan, that the children aren't a bother at all. They are a pleasure to have, and as I'm sure you know, Akira-san has scheduled for you to stay the whole summer."

Matsuyo slammed her hand on the table. "Akito-okaa-san, I don't mean to offend you. But I've heard from the servants. You've forgotten the old days, haven't you? You must think this is something you can shrug off, your long history of abuse."

_Abuse?_ Did Matsuyo know about the zodiac?

"I just don't think that my children are SAFE, do you know what I mean? I… I can't take this risk. The night Naotu-kun slept in your room I grew worried. You tried to strangle your own mother. I can't entrust you with my children."

I couldn't take it all in. Matsuyo was leaving because she thought _it wasn't safe. _But I had changed! I wasn't like the high and mighty god I used to be more than 30 years ago. How could, no, how DARE she bring up Ren. In their 11 years of marriage, I had come to like Matsuyo. Basically, she just told me off, and not just that, she brought up REN. (Did I mention that?)

Matsuyo took a deep breath. "Naotu is so young. He doesn't understand that the world isn't always so beautiful and calm. And he worries me. He's never in his room anymore, staying up late, I can't let this keep going on. Akira will be returning home tomorrow. I'm sure he'll be pleased to see his children and wife waiting at home for him."

Why was she speaking so formally. "I'm sorry, Matsuyo-SAN. But I also have a say over everything, and I'm sure I've mentioned that Akira-kun arranged for you and the grandchildren to stay here. He certainly won't be pleased to see you at home. And nor will Suki and Naotu."

Matsuyo ignored this. "We will be leaving tomorrow on the train at 10 AM."

At this, Naotu began to whimper. Matsuyo glared down at him. "Shut up!" She hissed.

I stood up and slammed my hand against the table. "That is no way to speak to your own child." I protested.

Matsuyo stood up. "Like you're one to tell ME how to treat my family!" She raged.

I stood up and left. In my anger, I went back into my room and slammed the paper door behind me.

Naotu didn't come that night.

When I woke up the next morning, I heard the crinkle of several plastic bags and I knew instantly that they were almost gone. I stayed in my room for another 2 hours, until it had been more than 30 minutes since I heard another strangled cry from Naotu-kun. When I finally peeked out into the hallway, there wasn't anyone or anything there. I called for breakfast, then sat in my bed, waiting.

I remembered all the days where Naotu-chan slept in my room, staying up until past midnight, telling stories about the zodiac. Yesterday I was going to tell him about the time I went and visited Tohru-kun at the beach house. I realized that without Naotu, my summer felt woefully incomplete. I sighed, and left my room and headed into the living room.

The answering machine was blinking. I was no expert at technology, but I figured if you pressed the play button you'd hear the message. I punched the play button.

"Message dated Sunday, July 18 10:09 AM," the machine read aloud.

"H-hello? Is this thing working? Anyway, Akito, this is Kureno Sohma. I'm sorry for not talking to you after the funeral, but Arisa and I would be pleased if you came over and visited us for a week or two. We hope you're doing well." He then listed a phone number, and an address. "Well, that's all. Call me back!"

The answering machine clicked off.

My summer was already ruined beyond repair. It couldn't hurt to visit some family, and maybe if I stayed there I could get my mind off my grandchildren and my bitch of a daughter-in-law. I hesitated for a moment, then picked up the phone and began to dial.


	5. Embrace

Chapter Five – Embrace

It was all settled the next day. I had already packed my bags and was all ready to go. It was sunny again, as it had been for the past week. If the weather were to reflect my mood, however, it would have certainly been thundering.

Not that I wasn't happy to go to Kureno's place. It wasn't very far away, and it distracted me from my now ruined state of summer. But things were never quite right with Kureno, even after the curse broke.

I picked up my canvas bag, and left through the front door. Momiji and Hatori were both staying at the estate with the servants, so the place wouldn't be completely empty. I walked down a few blocks to the bus stop and waited.

Gossip from the servants told me that Kureno was married and had two children. I seldom saw Kureno-san himself, let alone his family. _What kind of family does Kureno even have? _I thought long and hard on the bus ride, so hard I nearly missed the stop and ran out of the bus in a haze.

The walk to Kureno's house was going to take about 20 minutes, according to Kureno. He offered to drive, but I knew the car ride would be extremely awkward, so I politely declined.

Thirty minutes later, I stood outside of his house. It was plain looking, with a few rose bushes near the mailbox. Long vines grew on the side of the house and birds sat chirping on the roof. I walked up to the front door, took a deep breath, and knocked.

Several seconds passed by in total agony. _Is no one home, _I thought, panicked.But I wasn't even early! I glanced back, and was instantly calmed by the van sitting by the sidewalk. I heard a sound coming from the door and turned my eyes back to the house.

I didn't know what to expect. I didn't give a second thought to who would be opening the door. Maybe Kureno. Or his wife. A pet? I didn't really know, but at the moment, I really cared. But even in my wildest dreams I couldn't have imagined Ayumi opening the door for me.

"Obaa-san?" Ayumi cocked her head to one side, looking really surprised.

"Ayumi-chan? What are you doing here?" I didn't bother to hide the shock that was easily visible on my face.

"Ayumi?" A deep voice called from within the house. "What's taking so long?"

Kureno pulled the door back and looked at me, for the first time in a while.

What shocked me even more was his appearance. This man bore almost no resemblance to the Kureno I grew up with. His hair, once a reddish brown, was now gray and white. He looked malnourished; the skin on his hand was drooping slightly. In his right hand, he held a cane, and he was slightly hunched over. The only thing that was still the same was his eyes, still their usual color.

"Akito-san," He said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Don't just stand there. Come in, come in."

I hesitantly took off my shoes and stepped into his house. Ayumi followed behind me, her face full of wonder.

"It's a pleasure to have you stay in our household," Kureno said. "We really hope you enjoy your stay."

I rolled my eyes. "I'd REALLY enjoy it if you would not speak so formally. We're family."

Kureno tensed, and then smiled sincerely. "Sure thing."

We entered the living room. The room looked like something you would see in a furniture catalog; there was a suede sand colored sofa lining alongside a wall. There was a stone fireplace backed against one wall, and the rest of the wall was covered with book shelves crammed full with books. Also in the carpeted room were a leather love seat, a coffee table, and a small drawing table, no doubt for Ayumi. I set my bags down on the ground.

"Your house… is big," I said, looking around.

"Well, it's kind of late now," Kureno said, looking at the setting sun. "We should set up your room now…"

Ayumi chirped up. "Can Akito-san sleep with me in my room?"

Kureno shook his head. "You're sleeping with your mother to-"

"Kureno," I interrupted. "Ayumi-chan can sleep with me tonight. It's no problem."

Kureno looked troubled. "A-are you sure, Akito-san? I swear to you, if Ayumi's any trouble…"

"That won't be the case," I assured him. I turned to Ayumi. "C'mon, let's go upstairs."

Ayumi-chan looked excited. "It's so wonderful that you're staying here," she chattered, leading me up the stairs. "You'll love momma's cooking. And my bed is very comfy. And we can tell stories all night long!"

I thought of Naotu, and I was instantly sad again. It wasn't going to be much without him, was it?

I shook my head. _You never know, _I told myself. Smiling as hard as I could, I answered back.

"I think so too."


	6. Revival

Chapter Six – Revival

Ayumi was, unlike Naotu, a vivid storyteller. She could spin a world of wonder through words, and she could preserve it with silence. She pulled out a notebook from under her bed, and gestured at it. "These are stories I wrote when I was six. Do you want to see?"

_Did I have a choice? _I wondered. If I dismissed her, it wouldn't matter what I said; she would be hurt. "Of course."

Ayumi eagerly handed me the notebook. "My Story" was spelled out in glitter on the cover. I carefully opened it, and peered at the first page.

"This is the true story of a girl named Ayumi," I read aloud. "She was age 6 and 3 months while she wrote this. Do not read, please, unless Ayumi Sohma gave you permission to do so." I noted the misspelling of 'permission', which she had spelled out as 'permishun'. I looked up at the little girl, who was beaming. Not at all like the withdrawn girl I met at the marketplace.

"Ayumi-chan!"

The strange voice, which I had never heard before, was distinctly a woman's. Yet from the look upon Ayumi's face, it was as though Doraemon* walked through the door. Her voice grew excited, her speech faster than the speed of light. "Obaa-san, mama is calling. I don't know what for, but I'll be back! If you want, you can read the whole journal." As she got up to leave, a woman opened the door and stepped in.

The Sohma house gossip had told me that Kureno's wife was a tall, blonde, woman who was slightly younger than Kureno. But this woman hardly matched that description; she was tall, yes, but her hair was a full reddish brown. What shocked me beyond words was her appearance. She looked like a _teenager. _At most, her late twenties. She bore no resemblance to the woman I met so many years ago. But her eyes were still the same color, which I found to be a relief.

"Oh! There you are." the woman said, then spotting me. "Ayumi, you didn't tell me we had a guest."

"I'm sorry, mama," The little girl said, hugging her mother's waist. "Papa didn't tell you?"

"Afraid he didn't," the woman said. She smiled warmly at me. "But hey! I'm Arisa. Nice to meet you. You're Akito-sama, right?"

I frowned. _Is this girl a Yank? That's no way to speak to the head of the Sohma house._ "Yes, I am. Pleasure to meet you too."

"Soo…" she said. She put her hand up to her forehead. "You want something to eat? I can cook something up."

"Could you bring up some broth later?" I asked as politely as I could.

"Sure." She smiled. Arisa turned to Ayumi. "Come on, Ayumi, your dad wanted you to help him dig out weeds in the backyard."

Ayumi nodded, and skipped out. Her mother followed, leaving me in a room filled with pictures of Conan Edogawa*, Doraemon, and photos of her and animals. Sighing, I opened back to the first page of Ayumi's journal, and began to read.

*Doraemon and Conan are fictional characters. Conan is the main character of _Detective Conan_, a popular manga that is published weekly in Japan. Doraemon is a famous 'robot cat', also originating from manga. _Doraemon _is regarded as one of the most recognizable faces in Japan, although it has never been formally introduced into the U.S. The series ended when one of its co-authors, Hiroshi Fujimoto, died in 1996. Detective Conan is written by Gosho Aoyama and is still being published today.


End file.
